Steel Review

June 14, 2025

Steel Review

Until 14th June 2025

Half my family hail from the west coast of Cumbria. I know Workington well. I used to enjoy a cuppa in Debenhams before it closed down. I still enjoy a toasted sandwich in the Carnegie. This part of the world is very close to my heart.

It’s the best kept secret in the UK, as far as I’m concerned. The beautiful, windswept coastline is somewhere to clear your head. Hardly a soul to be seen along this stretch of countryside looking over the Solway Firth, and only a short journey away from the Lakes. Don’t tell too many people…

The scenic backdrop, however, belies some harsh truths. The Workington steel industry came to a close in the early-1980s, and until the levelling up promises from successive governments happen, it will continue to be a black spot for employment.

“The two actors do a fine job. Tweddle is engaging and funny, and can turn on the waterworks at the drop of a hat.”

What a joy to hear a West Cumbrian accent on stage. Jordan Tweddle, who plays James, is from Wigton. Renowned for its encompassing sulphurous smell (affectionately known as The Wigton Stink) emanating from a local plastics factory, it is also a historical working market town.

The other actor in tonight’s production, Suraj Shah, was born and bred in Leicester, and often wrestled with the West Cumbrian accent. I have never met anyone who has been successful with this, so will let him off.

Written by Lee Mattinson and directed by Liz Stevenson, Steel started off at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. ‘Frae’ Workington himself, Mattinson takes exception to being called a Jam Eater (look it up if you don’t know), moved out to Newcastle for his degree, and never came back.

Mattinson’s starting point for the play was: “What would a young person from Cumbria who had no agency do if suddenly they had some agency?” (Interview, Northern Arts Review). The premise of the play is that the main character, James, receives a mysterious phone call from a woman called Lynn, stating he is the heir to part of a railway track, and if he can find the contract signed by his great-great-great grandfather to prove it, she will give him one million pounds.

The play is set over 24 hours and we follow James and his friend Kamran (Shah) on a quest through town to solve the mystery, meeting plenty of characters along the way.

The play, it appears, however, is not about a contract, or even money. It is about relationships, racism, closet homosexuality and the history of a once-thriving area of North-West England.

The two actors do a fine job. Tweddle is engaging and funny, and can turn on the waterworks at the drop of a hat. In addition to playing Kamran, Shah takes on a plethora of other characters including James’ father and drag queens.

Lighting designer Jessie Addinall, and Composer and Sound Designer Mark Melville must be commended for their work. Both the lighting and sound fitted perfectly around the movement of the actors, beautifully directed by Kieran Sheehan.

The script, however, despite being beautifully and poetically written, was confusing for much of the play. It was so fast-paced that characters didn’t achieve the depth that was so needed. The set was stark, but at least some props would have helped set the scene in places. For such a historical area, the set didn’t quite do the play justice. Politics in the 1980s was brushed over, and the history of the steel works was hardly mentioned. For such an important topic for the area, I would have liked to have left with more knowledge than I went in with. Unfortunately, however, I came out of the play wondering what I took from it – and sadly that was not much.